Rug -sizing device



Aug. 7, 1951 G. R. MOORE ETAL RUG 'SIZING DEVICE Filed May '7, 1947 m m am m m0 W WL A P 1. e 60W 2% E/qflw 1 sizing devices.

Patented Aug. 7, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RUG SIZING DEVICE Gregg R. Moore and Arthur F. Moore, Elkhart, Ind.

Application May 7, 1947, Serial No. 7 16,5191

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in ru The invention is particularly .adapted for use in rug cleaning and washing plants for sizing a rug after it has been washed and before itis dried.

The operation of cleaning rugs by washing the same removes the sizing which is customarily applied to the back of a rug to stiffen it and hold it flat. The operation of applying sizing to a rug in a cleaning plant has been difiicult and timeconsuming heretofore by reason of the size and weight of the rug and lack of means which facilitate the efficient application of sizing material in the normal flow of work through the rug cleaningplant. Many modern rug cleaning plants are provided with equipment in the nature of washing or cleaning machines and rug drying means so correlated and positioned that a rug passes directly from the washing machine to the drying apparatus to facilitate a steady and smooth .flow of work, through the plant with minimum handling of the rug in the process. Plants provided with such equipment cannot apply sizing to a rug until it has passed through the washing and drying operations, so that the rug can only be sized after it has been dried and by the expenditure of time and labor in addition to the time and labor required for the washing and drying operations. The application of the sizing under such circumstances is costly, lengthens the period of time that the rug must remain in the plant because two drying operations are necessitated, namely, the initial drying after washing and the subsequent drying of the applied Sizing.

The second drying operation also requires space and handling equipment in addition to the space and equipment required for the initial drying operation. These conditions enter into the determination of the cost of the service of cleaning and re-sizing a rug and necessarily prolong the period of time that the owner of the rug is required to wait for the delivery of the rug from the cleaner.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a rug sizing device which may be correlated with rug washing and drying machinery of the conventional type now used in the trade to permit the application of sizin to the rug after the washing operation and before the drying operation so that the time required to clean and size a rug, the space required in the rug cleaning plant, the handling of a rug in the cleaning plant, andthe cost of cleaning and sizing the rug may all be reduced to a minimum and the disadvantages mentioned above may be overcome effectively.

A further object is to provide a rug sizing device located adjacent the feeding station of a ru drying device of the type adapted to elevate and suspend a rug while the sameis drying.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is simple in construction, easy to install and operate, which applies'sizing material uniformly and automatically, and Which limits the application of the sizing to predetermined portions of the back of the rug and spaced from its edges so that the sizing material is prevented from contacting the napped surface or face of the rug.

A further object is to provide a device of this character to Which a rug may be fed easily and quickly and with a minimum amount or time and labor.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the mounting of the rug sizing device in conjunction with a rug washing device and'a rug drying device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the rug sizing device taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3 and illustrating certain parts of the device schematically.

Fig. .3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional viewof the device takenon line 3-'3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral l9 designates a rug washing machine which is shown schematically. The principal parts of this rug washing machine are an elongated roller ['2 over which the rug M is passed for the successive operations of discharging cleaning fluid on its napped suriace as by means oi the discharge member It, the scrubbing of the wetted napped surface of the rug by reciprocating or moving brushes l8, and the rinsing of the rug by the discharge thereon of rinsin water from the discharge member 28. The machine also ineludes wringing rollers 22 between which the rug is passed to wring and extract excess water therefrom. The machine is also customarily provided with a table or support 24 onto which the cleaned rug is delivered. Suitable means are pro- 'vided for driving the rollers 12 and 22 and 'for washed rug is lifted to an elevated position so that the rug may be suspended freely therefrom for the period of time required for the rug to dry. Such mechanism is here designated generally by the numeral 30 and is provided with a frame including spaced upright frame members 32 located adjacent the table 24 and elongated frame or guide members 34 and 36 supported in suitable position by brackets 38 carried by a support 40 or secured to a ceiling of the room in which the machine is positioned. The member 34 is preferably located at an elevation of approximately 20 feet, there being two such members 34 spaced apart substantially the same distance as the uprights 32 are spaced. The horizontal upper members 36 are spaced directly above the members 34. A shaft 42 is journaled in suitable bearings carried by the upright frame members 32 adjacent the lower ends thereof, and a shaft 44 is jour-' naled in suitable brackets carried by the upper ends of the frame members 32. Sprocket wheels 46 are mounted on the shaft 42 adjacent the opposite ends thereof, and sprocket wheels 48 are mounted upon the shaft 44 adjacent the opposite ends thereof. Two chains 50 are trained around the vertically aligned sprockets 46, 48 and each'chain mounts a pair of supports 52 projecting therefrom and equally spaced along the length of the chain 50. The supports 52 are adapted to mount opposite ends of elongated rigid bars 54 which are positioned horizontally by said brackets and span the space between the two sets of chains 50. Each of these bars 54 is provided with one or more longitudinal sets, of radially projecting pins 56 which are adapted to impale a rug at one edge or margin thereof for -the purpose of firmly supporting the rug when impaled thereon.

The upper shaft 44 journals a second set of sprockets over which is trained a second set of chains56' which extend horizontally with the lower run thereof supported by the lower horizontal frame member 34 and the upper run thereof supported by the upper horizontal frame .member 36.

Suitable means (not shown) is provided for transferring the bar 54 from the elevating chain 53 to the lower frame member 34 when intermittent travel of the chains 56' upon each actuation thereof. Projections 58 are adapted to engage andpropel the ends of the bar 54 along the frame 34 each time the chains 56 are actuated. It will be understood that the members 34 and 36 are elongated and are of a length of 50 feet or more with their remote end portions joined so that the chains 56 and the projections 58 may transfer the bars 54 from the lower frame members 34 to the upper frame members 36. A suitable platform (not shown) may be provided adjacent to the discharge end of the frame to enable a workman to disengage the rugs reaching that remote discharge station from the bars 54. Suitable means (not shown) may be provided for operating this drying mechanism in a predetermined cycle which will include travel of the elevator chains 50 through a distance equal to one-half their total path of travel. It will be noted that bars which are returned by the chains 56 from the frame members 36 are deposited upon the supports or brackets 52 to be lowered thereby to operative position for re-use thereof. In this connection the machine also is provided with a bar depositing station adjacent the lower sprockets 46 at which a bar 54 which has been lowered by the downwardly traveling run of the chain 50 may be deposited and from which the brackets 52 may pick up a previously deposited bar 54 to carry the same to the feeding station. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the parts are at their normal stationary positions with the lower bar 54 on the righthand run of the chains 50 located at an elevation slightly above the elevation of the table 24 of the washing machine and preferably at approximately the height of the waistline of an operator. It will be apparent that an operator standing adjacent the bar 54 may grasp the end of a rug being discharged onto the discharge table 24 by the washing machine for the purpose of attaching the leading end of that rug to the bar 54 at the feeding station by impaling the same upon the pins 56 on the bar. After the leading end of the rug has been so attached to the bar 54, the drying mechanism may be operated whereby the end of the rug carried by the bar 54 is elevated at approximately the same rate of speed that the rug is discharged from the drying machine so that by the time the opposite end of the rug has cleared the washing machine the rug will be in an upended elevated position suspended freely from the bar 54. Thus by successive operations of the mechanism, the rugs are suspended in close spaced relation as illustrated by the numerals I 4 of Fig. 1, the spacin betweenthe rugs being ample for free circulation of air therebetween for drying purposes."

Our new sizing attachment 60 is adapted to be mounted by the "drying machine 30 between the frame members 32 thereof at a level slightly below the level of the feeding station. The sizshank portions 66 projects beyond the end of the tank and mounts adrive transmission member 10, such as a pulley or sprocket. 'The drive transmission member 1|] cooperates with a chain or belt 12 trained around asimilar drive transmission member mounted upon the lower shaft 42 for the purpose of rotating the roller'64 whenever the shaft 42 is driven. The roller is positioned to project slightly above the planeofthe upper edge of the tank or container 62 as shown and the drive transmission membersare adapted to rotate the roller 64 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2.

The tank or container 62 is connected with a suitable liquid circulating system which preferably includes a supply tank 14 provided with a suitable agitator 16. An outlet conduit 18 serves to drain liquid from the lower portion of the container 62 and to deliver the same to the tank 14. A supply conduit is connected at its opposite ends to the tank 14 and the tank 62, and suitable pump means 82 are provided to force liquid through the conduit 80 for the purpose of feeding the tank 62. The conduits B0 and18 are preferably connected to the tank 62 at opposite ends of said tank whereby a continuous circulation of liquid occurs lengthwise of the tank. The

relative sizes of the conduits 18 and B0 and the capacity of the pump 02 are so correlated that the device serves to maintain a constant level of liquid within the container suflicient to immerse the lowermost portion of the roller 64. It will be understood that where the word liquid is used herein, it refers to glue or any other liquid material which may be used for the purpose of sizing and stiffening thebackof a rug.

A .pair .of :brackets 84 are carried by and 'project upwardly from the opposite :end walls :68 of the tank-62. These plateshaveelongated vertical slots 86 aligned vertically with the axis 60 of the roller 64 and adapted to slidably and rotatably receive reduced diameter 'end portions 88 of an elongated hold-down roller 93. A sleeve or collar (not shown) is preferably mounted on the projecting end of each roller shank 88 and is suspended by means of afiexible chain or cable 92. The chains or cables 92 are'trained aroundrollers 04 positioned thereabove and are connected to the stem or arbor '50 of a suitable power actuated device 98. The member 98 may be an electric solenoid, a steam pump or an air pump, etc., having a part 55 which has a predetermined extent of movement in either of two opposed directions. Therefore it will be apparent that when the actuator 98 is energized, the chains or cables 92 will be pulled in one direction for the purpose of raising the hold-down roller 90 a limited extent within the slots 86 of the brackets 84. This provides a free space simplifying the operation of threading the end of a rug between the lower roller 64 and the hold-down roller 90 prior to the operation of impaling the end of the rug I4 upon the pins 56 of the adjacent bar 54 of the drying mechanism 30. After the rug I4 has been fed between the rollers 64 and 90 and connected to the suspension bar 54, the controller (not shown) for the actuator 98 may be energized in a direction to lower the hold-down roller 90. In this connection it will be apparent that the length of the chains or cables 92 is preferably such that the same are slack when the trunnions 84 of the roller 90 rest at the bottoms of the bracket slots 86.

The brackets 04 are also preferably provided with a second vertical elongated slot I00 spaced laterally from the slot 08 at the feed side of the container 62 and terminate at a level slightly below the upper edge of the container 62. An elongated guide roller I02 has reduced end portions I04 projecting therefrom which fit within the slot I00 so as to position the roller I02 alon side and parallel to the container 62 with the roller projecting slightly above the plane of the upper edge of the container 62. Thus when the rug I4 moves relative to the sizing device while pulled by the bar 54 of the drying device incident to elevation of said bar, the rug travels from the discharge table 24 of the washing device across the guide roller I02, thence betwen the rollers 64 and 90 and thence upwardly to the bar 54. In this way the rug is protected from contact with any sharp edges which might damage, sever or injure the fibers thereof.

The discharge side wall of the container 62 is preferably provided with a guide flange I06 upon which guide portions I08 on the outer ends of each of a pair of scraper blades I III are mounted. Suitable securing means II2, such as set screws, are adapted to secure the blades H0 at selected positions longitudinally of the tank 62. The blades H0 are preferably narrow and their inner edges bear against the periphery of the roller 64. It will 'be observed that since roller v$4 is rotated in counter-clockwise direction and since the blades H0 are located to engage an upwardly moving portion of the surface of the roller 64, said blades serve to scrape or wipe liquid adhering to the roller 64 at a limited portion thereof before the roller comes in contact with the rug I4. The blades H0 are so set and adjusted that the portion of the roller which is engaged by the side margin of the rug has had the sizing liquid removed therefrom so that the application of sizing terminates short of the side edges of the rug.

It will be apparent from the location of the sizing device relative to the washing device and the drying device that a rug can be sized thereby as it passes from the Washing machine to the drying machine. The location of the sizing machine adjacent the feeding station of the drying machine permits ease of threading of the sizing machine at the same time that the rug is connected to the drying machine. No separate driving means is required for the device, and the rollers of the sizing machine operate only when the drying machine operates to elevate andpropel the rugs carried thereby. It will be observed that the direction of rotation of the sizing applying roller 54 is counter to the path of travel of the rug relative thereto which insures the proper effective and uniform application of the sizing. The scraper blades IIO prevent the application of sizing so close to the edges of the rug as to be likely to flow therearound and into contact with the napped surface of the rug. The hold-down roller 00 is of a size and weight sufficient to insure that the rug is pressed against the surface of the roller 04 as it is propelled. The weight of the hold-down roller is preferably so selected that in addition to normally pressing the rug against the roller 64 it will also be sufficient to overcome any tendency to lift the rug out of contact with the roller- 04 occurring by reason of the vertical travel of the rug I4 as it leaves said roller incident to vertical travel of the bar 54. The automatic means for raising and lowering the hold-down roller through the medium of the mechanism 98 and the chain or cables 92 is a further time-saving feature.

While the embodiment of the invention herein described and illustrated is preferred, it will be understood that alterations and changes may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. A combined rug sizing machine and drying rack, said rack being disposed above the sizing machine and extending away from the sizing machine, a framework, a sizing machine carried by said framework, trackways carried by said framework and spaced upwardly above the sizing machine and having ends in the upper portion of the sizing machine, a coating roller in the sizing machine to coat one side of a rug with a liquid as the rug passes through the sizing machine, means for rotating said coating roller, sprockets adjacent the sizing machine and the trackways of the rack, endless spaced conveyor chains mounted on said sprockets and extending upwardly to the trackways, a driving connection between the sizing roller and the sprockets adjacent the sizing machine, the outer sides of said endless chains having outwardly extending bar supporting members, laterally extending endless chains driven by the sprockets adjacent the trackways and forming means for moving sue-- cessive bars onto the trackways from the upwardly extending endless chains, bars supported in a horizontal position on some of the bar supporting members, means for attaching a rug end to said bars at a point adjacent the sizing machine, said upwardly extending endless chains and bars iormingmeans for elevating the coated end of the rug progressively upwardly to the trackways for transfer to a suspended position laterally in a horizontal path onto the trackways.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the endless chains of the trackways are provided with bar receiving members to which the bars are transferred from the upper ends of the upwardly extending endless chains.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sizing machine comprises a liquid receiving tank, means for recirculating liquid through said tank, said sizing roller being disposed in said tank and a floating weight member above the sizing roller and adapted to press the rug against the sizing roller, and scraper elements carried by one side of the tank and adapted to scrape sizing material from the ends of the sizing roller and forming means whereby sizing material will not be deposited onlthe sized'side of the rug adjacent the ru e s. K

8 4. A device as set forth in claim 1 including a floating pressure roller above the sizing machine, a sizing roller below the pressure roller and adapted to coat one side of a rug and means for raising and lowering said pressure roller.

GREGG R. MOORE. ARTHUR F. MOORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7 215,173 Smith May 6, 1879 417,908 Craven Dec. 24, 1889 433,632 Remy Aug. 5, 1890 521,816 Reflitt June 26, 1894 685,949 Seither Nov. 5, 1901 1,000,589 De Journo -1 Aug. 15, 1911 1,540,687 Fiestel et al. June 2, 1925 1,660,901 Willsea Feb. 28, 1928 1,686,680 Case Oct. 9, 1928 1,968,911 Potdevin Aug. 7, 1934 2,058,369 Taylor Oct. 20, 1936 2,321,974 Bird June 15, 1943 2,424,445 Frier July 22, 1947 

